Integrated Studies in Land & Food Systems (MSc, PhD)

INTEGRATED STUDIES IN LAND & FOOD SYSTEMS (MSc, PhD)

You’re leveling up, taking your food systems studies to new heights. UBC’s master’s and doctoral degree
programs in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (ISLFS) acknowledge the fact that food isn’t grown, packaged,
consumed, disposed of — or understood — in one single way. That’s why our program integrates knowledge and expertise
across disciplines and industries. UBC’s ISLFS graduate programs push you to learn more, to contribute to the global
body of knowledge in land and food systems, and to develop sustainable solutions for a more whole and healthy world.

What you need to know

The Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems programs provide opportunities for students to broaden their knowledge base
and gain more advanced research experiences. ISLFS students work on diverse and often interdisciplinary research areas
that address priority food systems questions and challenges ranging in scope from food production, processing, distribution,
access, consumption and dietary practices, to the management of food waste. Applied research projects in ISLFS often
address sustainable solutions to food systems challenges that may address environmental, economic and social dimensions
of food systems.

Arguably the most important challenge for the world community in the 21st century is global food security: our ability to
create a sufficient, healthy, safe, culturally relevant and economically accessible food system for everyone. Sustainable
food systems will require more than technological advances, and must integrate economic, social and environmental relationships,
thus involving community, land and food systems. New solutions will demand that researchers and policy makers approach
the task differently from in the past. We can no longer expect solutions to come from a single discipline. The Integrated
Studies in Land and Food Systems graduate program offers you the opportunity to focus on such key complex issues. It
encourages you to use holistic approaches that integrate knowledge from across disciplines to find solutions relevant
to diverse communities. The Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems program (ISLFS) is for graduate students wishing
to work within emerging interdisciplinary fields.

Admission is in accordance with requirements set by UBC’s
Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Application to the ISLFS is not restricted to students with a degree
in one of the disciplines in agricultural sciences or agroecology. Successful applicants can come from any recognized
university degree program, and this diversity is reflected in the current graduate students enrolled in the program.
Prospective students should consult the general LFS Graduate Admissions page for more information. Application deadlines
for MSc/PhD applicants:

For September start date, the deadline is January 1, the same year.

For January start date, the deadline is June 1, the year before.

For May start date, the deadline is September 1,the year before.

In order to receive full funding consideration, applicants must have all documents submitted by January 30.

Master’s students will complete and present their research proposal along with most of their courses within the first year
of their program. Normally they will be expected to defend their dissertation at the end of their second year. Doctoral
students will usually complete coursework and their candidacy exam within three years, and the defence of their doctoral
dissertation in their forth or fifth years. The minimum course requirements for master’s degrees are 30 credits, of which
at least 18 must be numbered 500 and above. A maximum of 6 credits at the undergraduate level in courses numbered 300
to 499 may be counted toward the requirements of a master’s degree. The MSc research thesis (LFS 549) is 12 credits.
Coursework, selected in consultation with the student’s supervisory committee, includes graduate courses in Land and
Food Systems and from other areas relevant to each student’s research. Please consult the UBC Calendar for course timetable
details. Outline of program(s) for typical students (details of the required courses can be found here):

MSc

LFS 500 (3)

electives (15) in consultation with the student’s advisory committee

LFS 549 (12)

Total Credits 30

PhD

LFS 500 (3)

LFS 649 (0)

Students are expected to demonstrate a strong competency in methodologies and may, therefore, be required to take additional
coursework.

Examinations

a comprehensive examination for PhD students

defence of the thesis for PhD and MSc students

Faculty Members

Dr. James Vercammen

Professor, Food and Resource Economics (jointly appointed with the Sauder School of Business)

James’ primary area of research is the economics of agri-environmental contracts. This includes the efficient design of agri-environmental payment schemes, incentives for conservation with asymmetric information and conservation easements for the preservation of farmland. Other research areas include commodity futures markets and agricultural credit markets. An emerging research area is the measurement of productivity growth in Canadian agriculture.

Dr. Carol McAusland

Professor, Food & Resource Economics

Her current research investigates how the environmental impacts of international trade vary depending on the underlying motive for trade, be it consumers’ quest for novel product varieties or firms’ need for cheap inputs. She is also examining the implications of skilled labor migration for the global provision of public goods.

Dr. Eduardo Jovel

Associate Professor

Dr. Sumeet Gulati

Professor

Alongwith my co-authors I ask: at their modest values, do carbon taxes reduce gasoline consumption? Do they encourage people to buy fuel efficient vehicles? Do older consumers, especially women, perform better or worse while negotiating a price for a new car? What are the economics of car sharing—like Car2Go, and Evo? And what explains the autonomous emergence of electric rickshaws in India?

Dr. Juli Carrillo

Assistant Professor

Dr. Jennifer Black

My research focuses broadly on the social determinants of health and dietary choices. I am interested in how attitudes and behaviours related to eating, cooking, food selection, body image and body weight status are shaped by socio-cultural and neighbourhood-level factors.